02-08-2012, 11:27 AM
Most of these Recommended Designs were adapted to suit the roads which ordered them, so while the basic dimensions of the car were usually followed (although note the variation in the Santa Fe cars), the doors, ends, roofs and brake equipment could be more-or-less off-the-shelf items. That's how the "Alternate" designs came into being, although the major change there is the diagonal bracing. More cars were built to the Alternate Design than to the Recommended one. Also, on further reading, cars built to the Alternate design did use "Z"-bracing.
The low CNR cars are best represented by the Sylvan model, I think, although the TM car is very close in most respects and a lot cheaper. They come with three different styles of ends: double sheathed vertical wood siding, single sheathed horizontal siding, and, I think, Dreadnaught ends. The latter ones are the closest to the prototype, which used 4/4 Dreadnaught ends. I used Tichy Murphy ends on mine - they're readily available and suitable to my era, if not to that particular prototype.
The prototype used both wood and steel doors.
The Accurail single sheathed 9-panel boxcar is actually based on a CNR prototype. I've used it for both CNR and CPR cars, although the CP cars are technically USRA clones - they had a straight centre sill, as opposed to the fishbelly of the Accurail car. Tichy offers both the USRA car and the CPR clone, with the difference being 5/5/5 Murphy ends on the USRA and 7/8 Murphys on the CPR.
If you cut-down the MDC sides, you can build many, if not all, versions of the 1923 Recommended Design. With careful work, the roof could be re-used, although you'd likely have to make or purchase new ends. I see pictures of Murphy, reverse Dreadnaught, flat steel, and single sheathed wood ends, so plenty of room for variety.
Wayne
The low CNR cars are best represented by the Sylvan model, I think, although the TM car is very close in most respects and a lot cheaper. They come with three different styles of ends: double sheathed vertical wood siding, single sheathed horizontal siding, and, I think, Dreadnaught ends. The latter ones are the closest to the prototype, which used 4/4 Dreadnaught ends. I used Tichy Murphy ends on mine - they're readily available and suitable to my era, if not to that particular prototype.
The prototype used both wood and steel doors.The Accurail single sheathed 9-panel boxcar is actually based on a CNR prototype. I've used it for both CNR and CPR cars, although the CP cars are technically USRA clones - they had a straight centre sill, as opposed to the fishbelly of the Accurail car. Tichy offers both the USRA car and the CPR clone, with the difference being 5/5/5 Murphy ends on the USRA and 7/8 Murphys on the CPR.
If you cut-down the MDC sides, you can build many, if not all, versions of the 1923 Recommended Design. With careful work, the roof could be re-used, although you'd likely have to make or purchase new ends. I see pictures of Murphy, reverse Dreadnaught, flat steel, and single sheathed wood ends, so plenty of room for variety.
Wayne